The International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) is proud to announce that Ms. Susanna Saari, Vice President, Skal International, will be a featured speaker at the IIPT World Travel Market event as it launches its 30th anniversary year in support of the UN International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development: Wednesday, November 9, at 1530-1645 hours, Platinum Suite 1.
Susanna is also a senior lecturer specialized in Hotel Management, Health and Well-being in Tourism Destination at Turku University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Business, and ICT as well as a member of the “Future Learning Design” team. Susanna has been Project manager of: WelDest, an international R&D project about European destination management and lifelong learning and an international R&D project about European spa management.
Other featured speakers will be: Dr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary General, UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO); Mr. David Scowsill, President and CEO, World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC); H.E. Ms. Janice Charette, Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland: and Dr. Mario Hardy, CEO, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).
With 2017 having been declared the UN International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development the IIPT session will highlight the progress made in Tourism as a Driver of Peace and Sustainability over the past 30 years – and the vision of industry leaders for further progress in the years ahead.
The concept of sustainable tourism was first introduced at the IIPT First Global Conference: Tourism – A Vital Force for Peace, Vancouver 1988. IIPT subsequently pioneered the early initiatives towards its implementation:
– 1992 – developed the world’s first Codes of Ethics and Guidelines for Sustainable Tourism;
– 1993 – conducted the world’s first international study of “Models of Best Practice”; and
– 1994 – organized the first major international conference on Sustainable Tourism, Montreal.
IIPT Founder and President, Louis D’Amore stated, “We are honored to have Susanna Saari joining us as a featured speaker at our World Travel Market event particularly as Skal International is a partner with IIPT in several major initiatives. He continued: “IIPT will use the World Travel Market platform to announce IIPT’s 30th Anniversary Global Summit and plans for IIPT’s 30th anniversary year.
“Other special announcements will be made by Ms. Leslie Dance, Vice President, Hawaii Tourism Authority; Tajamul Hussein, CheckINN TV; and Juergen T. Steinmetz, Chairman, International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP).
“We look forward to you joining us.”
The International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fostering travel and tourism initiatives that contribute to international understanding, cooperation among nations, an improved quality of environment, cultural enhancement, the preservation of heritage, poverty reduction, reconciliation and healing wounds of conflicts; and through these initiatives, helping to bring about a peaceful and sustainable world. It is founded on a vision of the world’s largest industry, travel and tourism – becoming the world’s first global peace industry; and the belief that every traveler is potentially an “Ambassador for Peace.”
For more information, click here: iipt.org
